February Noteworthies

This month, I finished yet another Emily Giffin book and I actually liked this one better!  Where We Belong is about a woman who is living the dream in New York City, but gets an unexpected surprise one day that changes her life completely.  This is a heart warming story that is an easy read - highly recommended!

I also ran in the annual Firecracker Run, but this year, I ran the 10K.  This was an arduous run requiring runners to climb 600ft over 3 miles.  Luckily, I trained for those killer hills, but it didn't stop me from feeling like I was about to keel over on the very last climb.  In fact, I achieved a new PR with 9:11/mi!

And yet another hideous photo of me at the finish line, but I think that the expression on my face says it all - I was exhausted!

Lastly, I watched An Act of God starring Sean Hayes at the theater (fancy schmancy!) after a friend raved about it on Facebook.  I think that in order to have fully enjoyed the show, I had to have been up to date with current events and have basic knowledge of the Bible.  I got the latter down, but I have no idea what is going on today in this world (I know, shame on me).  So, a lot of the jokes went right over my head, but as I looked around, I wasn't the only one.  A lot of the audience had fallen asleep in the middle of the show - at least I stayed awake!

Have a wonderful week!

January Noteworthies

Gosh, the first month of 2016 sure flew by.  Aside from my usual routine of going to work and working out, here are a few more noteworthy activities this month!

I finally finished another book.  My goal was to read one book per month in 2016.  Fewer than avid readers but really darn good for me.  

Emily Giffin is one of my favorite authors starting with Something Borrowed.  I do have to say that her subsequent books have not been as captivating as her first three, but it's not going to stop me from reading another one of her new publishes in February.  Definitely a non-thinking book if you want to just take your mind off things.

I enrolled Echo in agility classes because I have noticed how jumpy and easily startled he is.  Supposedly, agility classes help build confidence in dogs and the classes were offered at his daycare, so why not?  It's been really fun watching him progress throughout the weeks and he surprises me every class by conquering a new obstacle.  For example, never would I have ever imagined he would run through a small opening!  The first few tries, he would very cautiously dip one paw in then run back out.  Once he made it through though, he couldn't wait until it was his turn again!

I also went to an escape room for the first time, and it was a really fun time!  It's a great option to host a birthday at or to just have a unique good time with friends and family.  You are put into a room with 7 other people and as a team, you search for clues and piece them all together to escape the room before time runs out.  The one we went to is called Enigma Escape Rooms.  Parking was a little tough, and it initially feels a little sketchy because it looks like an apartment building, but it's totally legit.

And last but totally not least, I got to hang out with my new nephew!!  My favorite moments with him are when he is crying, but stops once I pick him up.  He is so precious!

Turkey And Zucchini Quinoa Pasta Casserole With Mozzarella

One of my girl friends told me about this recipe and I couldn't wait to try it especially because the recipe would make enough for 5 servings.  And, one serving contained tons of protein, which is always a good thing!  I am all about meal prepping and freezing these days so that I don't have to cook as often.  This was an awesome addition to the two ziploc bags of white chile chicken and one ziploc bag of turkey chili I already had in my freezer.

If there were such a thing as a lazy cook, that would be me.  In order to not have to wash another cutting board, I squished everything onto one.  Two tomatoes, half a red onion, minced garlic, one bell pepper, and two zucchinis.

 Cook the red onion and minced garlic first.  Then, throw in 2lbs of ground turkey.

Mix in the veggies once the ground turkey is almost fully cooked.  Add one cup of chicken broth and 2 cans of 6 oz. tomato paste.  Cover the pan, lower the heat, and wait for it to simmer.  

 While waiting for the meat and veggies, you can split the quinoa pasta into 5 mini loaf pans.  Then, pour the mixture on the top of the pasta and top with mozzarella cheese.  Pour a little bit of the remaining chicken stock in each pan to ensure moisture.  Then stick all five into the oven at 375F for 20 mins.

 Voila, all done!

 Pretty good!  I would just add that it can be a little bland if you don't add any salt (which the recipe does not call for), so season to taste!  Also, I had leftover meat even though I packed each loaf pan to the max...probably enough for 2-3 more!

 Here's the nutritional value of the casserole based on my portions.  Thumbs up for 32g of protein in one serving and not having to cook the next few meals!

Holiday Party For Kids

Today, my bootcamp and I hosted a holiday party for kids who live in transitional homes by bringing Christmas gifts, tempting sweets, and gingerbread houses for the them to decorate.  It was nice to spend time with people who have a heart to give back and see innocent smiling faces to boot!

So many generous boot campers pitched in and bought presents for 11 kids; each kid got two gifts each!  Some also generously donated cash so that we could throw the party!

Setting up the tables.  Luckily, the rain didn't set in until later in the day after the party was over!

Setting up a gingerbread train in advance so that the little kids could start decorating without having to build!

Serving one of the tenants.  Few people showed up at the beginning, but more tenants joined toward the end of the party!

The awesome team who helped with planning, set-up and strike down.  They were amazing - all of them showed up on time and stayed for the whole duration.  So thankful to have met these wonderful people through this event!

Singapore Part 2

This is the Voice!  Messing around at the office.

Early morning swim before the sun even rose

Chicken rice is popular here, so I met up with an old colleague to try it out and was not disappointed.  We went to Boon Tong Kee on Balestier Road, one of the oldest streets in Singapore.